


First Acts

by Elennare



Category: Little Women Series - Louisa May Alcott
Genre: F/F, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Start of Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:07:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25454398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elennare/pseuds/Elennare
Summary: Nan's often watched Josie act romances - now she has a chance to play a part in a real one.
Relationships: Josephine "Josie" Brooke/Nan Harding
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7
Collections: Juletide 2020





	First Acts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saiditallbefore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saiditallbefore/gifts).



> saiditallbefore, I hope you like it! I'm sorry I couldn't get Dan in, or give Bess more of a role.
> 
> I've given Nan a (slightly edited) quote of Louisa May Alcott's.

Nan straightened up, finishing her examination, and looked at her patient with a smile. “All done!”

Josie smiled back, but her eyes were still anxious. “Well? What’s the verdict, doctor?”

“You’re perfectly fit, as far as I can see,” Nan reassured her. “From what you tell me of these headaches, I’d say you’ve been overworking, but it’s nothing a rest won’t put right. Your play isn’t meant to run much longer, is it?”

“No, only two more weeks,” Josie replied with a slight frown.

Nan nodded. “Well, don’t rush to start anything else, but take a holiday. And for now, come and have tea with me! I don’t have any more patients coming, unless an emergency shows up, so I can be sociable for once.”

As Josie completed her dressing, Nan hurried to put the kettle on, and clear the table. The treatise on surgery she was reading might be fascinating to her, but she doubted Josie would appreciate it! Once they were both settled in the small sitting room, Nan looked at Josie for a moment. “Can I be blunt, Josie?”

“When aren’t you?” the younger woman demanded, with some point, and Nan laughed.

“That’s fair! Well, I don’t think it’s just overwork that’s been troubling you. This new play hasn’t done as well as you’d hoped, has it?”

Josie sighed. “No, it hasn’t, and I don’t see why!”

“Don’t you?” Nan asked pointedly.

Despite the long hours her profession demanded, Nan never missed any of Josie’s plays. She was hardly alone in that; Daisy and Demi, of course, were always there to see their little sister. Bess, whose artistic soul rejoiced in her cousin’s performances; Ted, who still loved to tease her as much as he ever had; Rob, to keep an eye on his brother, could always be found in the audience too at some point, as indeed could most of the “original Plums”. They had all rejoiced in Josie’s growing career, from her first tiny parts, little more than a line or two, to the leading roles she could command today. Until this latest one, Nan had always enjoyed the plays (though she was perfectly aware that part of her enjoyment came from watching the graceful, curly-haired actress who had stolen her heart); but only a wish not to hurt Josie had kept her silent on the topic of her latest play until now.

“Well… I know it’s not as good as some of the others I’ve been in…” Josie began slowly.

“It’s bad, and you know it.”

“It’s not that bad!” Josie fired up at once. “It’s not like that dreadful opera bouffe, or anything of the sort!”

“No, there’s nothing wrong with the ideals, I’ll give you that. There’s no wickedness in it. But it’s frightfully contrived, and the speeches are so awkward! You’re the only one who sounded halfway natural when I saw it, and that’s thanks to your acting, not your lines. Come, Josie! You’ve grown up with Mr Laurie and Mother Bhaer’s plays, just like the rest of us. You’ve acted in so many fine things. If I can see it’s bad, you must be able to! I only wonder you didn’t see it before you agreed to act in it.”

Josie looked stubborn for a moment, but then she sighed and gave in. “You’re right, Nan, it’s not good… But I know the playwright, and he said he’d written my part specially for me, and - I was flattered, I suppose.” She paused, then added, “Can I ask you about something else? I remember how Tom used to pester you… How did you find it in you to keep turning him down?”

“I knew I didn’t care for him at all in that way,” Nan began slowly, looking thoughtfully at Josie.

“But you did - you do - care for him, don’t you?” Josie interrupted. “Wasn’t it hard to hurt him?”

Nan shook her head. “It’s because I care for him as a friend that it was so easy to hold firm. I knew I should just be making both of us horribly miserable later on if I ever did give in! I wanted to be a doctor far more than I wanted - or want! - to be anyone’s wife, and I knew Tom would eventually meet someone he truly loved, not just had a boyish fancy for.”

Josie nodded. “I see…”

“Does this have anything to do with your playwright, by any chance?” Nan asked shrewdly, and her heart sank as Josie blushed.

“He hasn’t really said anything - not straight out, like Tom used to. But he - hints, and he’s so nice, and I think I could care for him…”

“Enough to leave the stage for him?”

“Some women keep acting after they’re married,” Josie argued. “Look at Mrs Siddons - I’m not saying I’m another Mrs Siddons, I’m not that vain! But if she could do it, maybe I could too.”

“And act in your husband’s plays?” Nan said sharply, then regretted her tone. She did believe it would be an utter waste of Josie’s talent to do such a thing, but she knew the sharpness came not from that but from her own feelings. Josie frowned but said nothing, so she continued more gently, “In any case, you can’t have him hovering around you and hinting. If nothing else, it could be bad for your career if people start gossiping. Of course Demi’s away when you really need him to play dragon! But surely someone can do it?”

“Mother always keeps an eye on me, of course, and Jack did ask Nat to as well. But neither of them seem to have noticed anything, and I hate the idea of bringing it up myself - what if I’m just imagining things?” Josie asked, blushing a little. “Mother’s been rather run down lately too, after that bad cold she caught, so I don’t want to worry her.”

Nan thought rapidly. She wouldn’t mind confronting the young man herself, but she was no relation to Josie or to the theater, and couldn’t quite see a way to do it. An elder brother could best claim a right to watch over his sister, but Demi was away visiting his wife’s family. Gentle Nat and sweet Daisy hardly seemed good replacements for him, and Nan quite agreed with Josie’s opinion that Mrs Brooke ought not to be worried if at all possible. A cousin, then? But Rob was even further away than Demi, visiting Franz in Germany, and Teddy too unpredictable. Bess, now, there was an idea…

“What do you think of telling Bess about it?” she asked. “She’s got a good eye for people, and no-one ever refuses her anything. She’ll get the truth, and if it is what you think, she’ll make him see he needs to speak out - and do it all so charmingly he’ll never realise she’s ordered him into it, if I know Bess!”

“Yes…” Josie said slowly, beginning to look more cheerful. “Yes, you’re right, Nan, that’s a splendid idea. I’ll talk to Bess. I’m so glad I came to you, I knew you’d be able to suggest something sensible!”

“Nothing to it,” Nan said rather gruffly, embarrassed by the shining smile Josie turned on her. “Just… be sure you know your own mind about this chap. I wouldn’t want you to do - or not do - anything and then regret it later.”

Later, once Josie had left, Nan allowed herself to take a moment to sigh. She’d known this would come some day, of course. She’d been jealous for years of the leading men who played opposite Josie, sure one of them would make the leap from a stage romance to a real one. She’d never thought of a playwright being the one - and perhaps this one wouldn’t be, Josie didn’t seem to care for him really. But it was the first hint of a romance in her life… how Nan wished she could play the other part! 

* * *

A month later, the two women were strolling along the cliffside at Rocky Nook. Bess had more than come up to Nan’s expectations. A few seemingly chance visits to her cousin at the theater had convinced her Josie was quite right, and she had persuaded the young man to speak out without him even realising that she had done so. More; when Josie had come to her for comfort, after the sad scene her refusal had led to, she had swept both Josie and Mrs Brooke off to the seaside, and insisted Nan should come and join them at some point too. Busy woman though she was, Nan could no more refuse their Princess’s command than any of the old Plumfield children, so she had snatched a fortnight’s holiday, and arrived the night before.

Josie gathered flowers as they walked, and Nan watched her quietly with great satisfaction. She had been delighted at the change two weeks had made in Josie; her cheeks were rosy with health once more, and smiles and laughter had replaced the frowns and sighs.

“I’m so glad you’ve come, Nan! Isn’t this place wonderful? I’ve always loved it, ever since I met dear Miss Cameron here and she told me I might act someday if I worked hard.” 

“It’s lovely,” Nan said, though it must be admitted she was watching her companion more than the scenery. “And you look much better than you did when you left!”

“I feel much better,” Josie agreed, tucking a flower among her curls and picking another one out from the nosegay she was building. “May I?” she asked, almost shyly.

Nan simply nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and Josie reached out to tuck it behind her ear. She lingered for a moment, fussing over it, then suddenly pulled back. “There, it should stay,” she said rather abruptly.

“I’m sure it will. You’ve always had a gift for flowers,” Nan replied, thinking of all the pretty arrangements that could always be found at the Dovecote, of the many times Josie had come calling with blossoms in her hand to brighten up her house.

They walked on in silence for a while. Then Josie said, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking while I’ve been here, too. Do you know, Nan, I think I came very close to being an awful fool?”

“With your playwright?” Nan had never asked the man’s name, preferring not to know it, and Josie had never volunteered it. 

“That, and… other things. I’ve been thinking about what you said, whether I cared enough to leave the stage for him, and I don’t believe I could ever care that much for any man. You understand, don’t you?” She looked up at Nan, with a pleading expression that made Nan’s heart beat faster. “Mother just laughs, and says Aunty Jo used to say she’d never marry either.”

“Like you said, some women do keep acting,” Nan said, trying to keep her emotions under control. “It’s different for a doctor - though why it should be, I don’t know! Men would be horrified if anyone suggested they should stay at home after marrying, but they’re perfectly happy to demand it of us. And before you say anything about house-keeping, don’t I keep my house in perfectly good order despite all my work?” 

“For the most part, though I have found some queer surprises on your table at times when I’ve called on you unexpectedly!” Josie gave her an impish grin. 

Nan chuckled, remembering some of the incidents Josie referred to. She had to admit most people didn’t welcome their guests with medical instruments, or disassembled skeletons; but Josie had always taken them as a great joke, thereby endearing herself to Nan even more.

Josie giggled too, then continued, “But I really do mean it! I’m sure I couldn’t care so for any man. Do you understand?”

“I do,” Nan said, though she wasn’t entirely sure she did. She knew what she wanted to understand, from Josie’s repeated insistence she couldn’t care for a man, but what if she was wrong? “In any case, even if I weren't expected to give up my career, I don't believe I'd ever marry. I've fallen in love with so many pretty girls, and never once the least bit with any man!” She tried to laugh as she spoke, to make her tone light. If Josie hadn’t meant what she hoped, maybe she’d just take it as a joke?

Josie didn’t laugh now, and her eyes shone at the words. “I knew you'd understand, Nan.” 

Reaching out, she took Nan's hands, and pressed the wildflowers she'd been gathering into them. “You do understand, don't you?” she asked, voice little more than a whisper.

Nan gently squeezed the fingers still holding hers - crushing the flowers somewhat, but neither of the women cared. “I do, Josie, I do.” 


End file.
